It is one thing to craft a compelling goal but is another thing to accomplish the goal. Most of us will start working on a goal but lose interest.
Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash
To accomplish your goals, first start by cutting off some distractions from your life. You think I am funny, right? No, I am not. Some activities that do not help us when it comes to achieving our goals.
Consequently, distractions play a significant role in our failure to deliver our goals. So to stay focused we must get rid of them. Before we can get rid of them, we must first know them. What are these disturbances?
1. Smartphones: Even though they are called smart, they may make us look awkward sometimes. How many times have you seen people walking around or driving next to you looking at their smartphones?
In lobbies, airports, almost everywhere you go you see this happening. So what can you do to get rid of this distraction? Limit your access to your smartphone. Put it away, stop checking it every minute. I know it is not an easy task but is doable.
2. Social Media: Social media could become a great time killer if you don’t use it wisely. Some people make a mistake of checking their social media the moment they wake up. Once you start your day that way; social media will seize control of the rest of the day.
Don’t get me wrong; social media is an excellent tool to use when used wisely. You can even make it work for you. So what should you do? Examine your use of social media. Is it working for you or against you? Scale back how often you check it if it doesn’t work for you.
3. Emails: Many of us depend on emails for our daily job. So why is email even on this list? Email is on the list because it may also waste your time. How many emails do you get daily? I believe the answer is “Many.”
You will realize that most of the emails do not even need your immediate response. What to do when you always check your email? Designate a specific time during the day to check your email.
I encourage you not to do it the first thing in the morning. Why? It will direct your day. Instead of working on your project, you’ll be doing what other people want you to do.
4. Surfing the Internet: The internet is an excellent resource to look for information. It becomes a problem when we develop a habit of surfing it for no purpose. How many times have you caught yourself surfing the internet without any reason? I did.
It starts with a piece of information from a specific website. It then escalates to other sites. Before you know it, you’ve wasted hours in front of your computer screen. Watch yourself when surfing the internet.
5. Watching TV Excessively: You do not have to watch all seasons of your favorite show. Some people may even watch all seasons of their show using Netflix or Hulu. Instead of spending time watching TV shows, use your time to work on that one goal you’ve crafted.
Of course, you are not going to cut off the TV entirely; you may still watch the news or other important shows. But most of the time, spend your time doing something to benefit you.
6. Hanging Out with Friends: Hanging out with friends is a good thing because we all need to be social. But make no mistake for hanging out with the wrong friends. Some friends are energy drainers; they will pull you down. Instead of encouraging you to work on your goals; they will give you contrary ideas.
If you want to soar, you must line yourself with friends who will add value to your human being. These kind of friends are difficult to come across. If you find one, make sure to keep.
Question: What other distraction can you remove from your life? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.